


New Faces

by eerian_sadow



Series: Flesh and Steel challenge responses [4]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Challenge fic, Community: flesh_and_steel, Multi, Xeno, cross species, implied sexual situations, pretender shells
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-20
Updated: 2011-06-20
Packaged: 2018-02-13 04:03:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2136294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sarah and Ironhide plan a little surprise for Will.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Faces

**Author's Note:**

> written for flesh_and_steel’s “Beach Party Threesome” challenge. (as i slide in miraculously under the deadline!)
> 
> In my head canon, Pretenders are drone shells that are very precisely built to mimic Human (or other organic) forms--right down to the smallest details like hair, warm skin and bodily fluids--in order for the Cybertronians to blend into native environments and interact with them on a more natural level. A normal Cybertronian will then download their consciousness into the drone shell and use that as a temporary alternate mode, while their actual body goes into a sort of stasis for the duration of their use of the Pretender shell. Pretender shells DO come equipped with some weapons and defenses, as they are still robotic bodies after all, but they are generally weak, hold-out sorts of weaponry that will not actually do much to another Cybertronian but will definitely Tear Up a human. Due to the personal preferences of the Cybertronians who use them, however, some Pretender shells are more… equipped than others.

Sarah Lennox sighed as Ironhide pulled into the parking stall. “I can’t believe they’ve started charging for use out here. Whatever happened to going to the beach for free?”

“It is illogical to charge for the use of your planet’s natural land features.” Ironhide’s voice rumbled through the radio speakers in his cab. “It is not as if you are invading the home of another Human.”

“I know.” She sighed again. “All anyone cares about anymore is making money, it seems like.”

“A trait that is not exclusive to humans.” The black mech opened the driver’s side door, allowing Sarah to climb out. “The desire for material wealth is ingrained into many species. It sometimes takes very drastic measures to shake them out of those patterns.”

She rested a comforting hand on his side panel as she slid off the seat and onto the ground. “Like war?”

“Like war.”

She said nothing else on the subject, knowing he hadn’t been asking for or wanting comfort. “So is Will here yet?”

“I do not detect his cellular phone signal in the area, though I have little doubt he is on his way. The monitoring equipment at the Epps home indicates that Annabelle has been safely left with Monique.”

Sarah did her best not to giggle. Monique Epps’ name always sounded strange coming from any of the Autobots; they were always so careful to pronounce it _just right_. “Good. We still have a little bit of time to set up our surprise, then.”

Ironhide gave an amused chuckle as the Human woman pushed his door shut. “I think you’re more excited about this than I am.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Sarah moved to the back of the truck and began unpacking the supplies for their day at the beach. “This **Pretender** idea is the best one I’ve heard in a long time.”

“Sam didn’t think so, when we explained it to him.” Ironhide’s voice changed from the vaguely tinny sound it had when coming through the truck’s speakers to something that sounded much more human. Sarah watched with amusement as a man-shaped being sat up from the bed of the truck like something from an old horror movie. “So, how do I look?”

She took in the form of the human-looking mech with a critical eye. Ironhide’s pretender shell had been based off the holoform he used when one of the Lennoxes wasn’t around to “drive” him, but it wasn’t an exact replica. His frame was a touch too wide--shoulders and hips a bit broader than a normal human--and the skin too tanned for this early in the summer season. The hair was a bit shaggy and definitely needed a trim and his eyes were the same bright non-human blue of his real body’s optics. His arms were too large, overly bulky like a body builder’s in order to hide his onboard weaponry, and her entire face would probably fit in the palm of his hand. He didn’t really look _normally_ human, but he was close enough that most people would just ignore the basic differences.

“You look good. We need to give you a haircut later, though.”

The mech huffed as he climbed out of the truck bed. “We worked hard on that hair. It was almost impossible to find a good synthetic that the hydraulics wouldn’t destroy.”

“I meant the style, Hide. You look shaggy.”

“Shaggy?” Those too-blue eyes narrowed in confusion.

“Yes, shaggy. Unkempt.” She pinned him with a glare as he turned to lift Will’s shotgun out of the truck bed. “Nuh uh. The **boomstick** stays here.”

“But if we’re assaulted, I have to be able to protect you!”

Sarah shoved the cooler into his hands instead. “You can’t convince me that _you_ didn’t find a way to pack six different ranged weapons into that body. It stays here.”

“Very well.” Ironhide frowned and took the cooler. “But if I am incapacitated--”

“I’m pretty sure we’ll be fucked anyway.” She picked up her share of the supplies--several beach towels, a small basket and a bag full of personal care items--and led the way toward the sand. “Just relax. We’re here to have fun, not panic over things that might happen.”

“We did leave Red Alert back at the base,” the Autobot agreed grudgingly.

They settled in near a rock formation and Sarah spread out the beach towels. She giggled a little as she realized she had packed Belle’s old **Boots the Monkey** towel for Ironhide out of habit, rather than something a bit more masculine. Ironhide simply frowned and flipped it over so that the character side was facing the sand. Then they settled in to wait for Will’s arrival and to get some sun.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing!?” Ironhide was rubbing sunscreen onto Sarah’s back when Will’s shout rang across the nearly-empty beach. “Get your hands off my wife!”

“I thought you were going to send a **text message** when you got here,” Sarah said without even looking up. “That way Ironhide could help you carry the grill and charcoal down.”

“Yeah, well I think it’s a damn good thing I didn’t!” Will dropped the charcoal next to Ironhide and glared at him. “And you’ve got about three seconds to explain who you are and why you aren’t dead yet.”

“Why would I be dead, Lennox? No Decepticon on this planet could get that lucky.”

Will blinked several times in confusion at the voice. _“Hide?_ “

“In the flesh.” Ironhide gave him a mischievous grin.

“But what..? How? I mean, you’re a giant robot that turns into a truck.”

Sarah laughed at her husband’s confusion. “Autobot mad science strikes again.”

“So… what? Space bridge accident, someone crossed the beams or what?”

Ironhide smirked. “It was a _turtle_. Wandered up out of the sewer and into Wheeljack’s lab.”

“Now I know you’re bullshitting me.” The NEST commander set the small grill he was carrying down next to the charcoal. “Seriously, how?”

“It’s a Pretender shell,” his wife replied.

“A replica body, like the femme that assaulted Sam at the university,” Ironhide added.

“So… have you been able to do this all along?”

“Yes and no.” The mech shrugged. “The shells have to be built and programmed for each individual. I didn’t have one until recently.”

“Oh.” Will sat down next to Sarah and absently took over sunscreen rubbing duties. “So, what can you do? Besides pass for human?”

“Anything you can do.”

“Anything?” Will raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Anything,” Ironhide confirmed.

“Wait til you see his **penis** ,” Sarah added. She gave Will an innocent look when he stared at her in shock. “What? I had some input on the design.”


End file.
